Rydia

We first encounter Rydia in the Village of Mist when it is destroyed, seemingly the lone survivor of that town's destruction. At this time, she is only a child and can use weak Black Magic and Summons. However, by the time she returns to the party having aged quicker after spending time in the Land of Summoned Monsters, she is a powerful Summoner and Black Mage who is an absolute asset to your party. The fact that she can use summons and cast powerful Black Magic means she'll rarely, if ever, be away from your party when she doesn't need to be.

Black Magic - Rydia is a talented Black Mage, and will often be used as such in lieu of her summoning abilities, which tend to eat up MP. For information on the Black Magic she can cast, see the Magic section of this guide.

Summon - Rydia is the only character in the game with the ability to summon monsters to help the party in battle. Some of these monsters heal the party, but most of them will attack the enemy party, dealing devastating damage. Many of her Summons are learned automatically, but others must be sought and obtained. You can see what the Summons are in the Magic section of this guide, but to see how to acquire summons like Bahamut and Odin, see the Side Quests section of the guide.